Prepared as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Northern Gulf of Mexico Progam 

Benthic Substrate Classification Map: 

Gulf Islands National Seashore 

By Dawn Lavoie, James Flocks, Dave Twichell, and Kate Rose 

Open-File Report 2012–1051

U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey 
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2013 

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Suggested citation: 

Lavoie, Dawn, Flocks, James, Twichell, Dave, and Rose, Kate, 2013, Benthic substrate classification map: Gulf 

Islands National Seashore: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012-1051, 14 p., 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1051.

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government. 

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual 

copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report. 
iii

Acknowledgments 

The Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) categories were reviewed by Becky Allee of National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Gulf Coast Services Center. The data processed herein were collected by Jim 

Flocks and his group from the USGS St. Petersburg office. Some of the data processing was accomplished in the USGS Woods 

Hole office by Dave Twichell and his group. Any use of trade names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government. 
iv

Contents

Introduction and Background ........................................................................................................................................... 1 

Methods........................................................................................................................................................................... 2 

Data Acquisition............................................................................................................................................................ 3 

Data Processing ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 

Swath Backscatter Data ........................................................................................................................................... 4 

ArcGIS.................................................................................................................................................................. 6 

Ground Truth Data........................................................................................................................................................ 8 

Results ...........................................................................................................................................................................10

Discussion ......................................................................................................................................................................13

References .....................................................................................................................................................................14

Figures

... 1. Map of the Mississippi barrier islands that compose the Gulf Islands National Seashore: Petit Bois, Horn, 

East and West Ship, and portions of Cat Island ................................................................................................... 2 

... 2. Tracklines from 2008 and 2009 summer surveys that collected data used in benthic substrate map. The 

surveys were funded as an in-kind contribution from the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program’s 

Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) project.............................................................................................................. 3 

... 3. (A) Examples of backscatter returns north of Petit Bois Island. The light returns or low reflectivity (signals

have been inverted 180 degrees during data processing) are interpreted to be fine-grained muds whereas 

the dark returns are interpreted to be sandy sediments. (B) Examples of backscatter returns from West 

Ship Island; the light returns from the Gulfport shipping channel represent fine-grained muds while the 

dark returns between the old and new shipping channels are coarse to medium sands ...................................... 5 

... 4. Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) classification scheme developed by 

NOAA. Components interpreted in the Gulf Islands National Seashore include the surface geology 

component, the geoform component, and the biotic cover component ................................................................ 7 

... 5. Mississippi barrier islands (MSBI) benthic substrate classification. Geology components are based on 

geophysical data. Core samples were analyzed to verify geophysical interpretations and are denoted by 

small circles overlain on interpreted surface geology components....................................................................... 8 

... 6. (A) Bottom photograph of typical sandy substrate near West Ship Island, and (B) topside photograph of 

the same homogeneous sand, similar to beach sand near East Ship Island ........................................................ 9 

... 7. Photographs showing (A) seagrass from the northern side of West Ship Island (C10), and (B) burrowing 

east of West Ship Island (C16) and commonly found in the passes between the islands ............................. 9 

... 8. Photographs showing (A) soft mud covering much of the non-sandy bottom (C4) just north of West Ship 

Island, and (B) burrows in muddy bottom north of East Ship Island (C29) .............................................................. 9 

... 9. (A) Low-intensity backscatter returns north of East and West Ship Islands (red) are fine-grained muds that 

predominate north of the islands and in the dredged shipping channels. The high-intensity backscatter 

returns (in yellow) are medium- to coarse-grained sands and are primarily south of the islands and in the 

passes between the islands. (B) A similar pattern of sand as in (A) is present at Horn and Petit Bois 

Islands. Both islands are surrounded closely by sands (yellow), with interfringing finer-grained sediments 

on the north of the islands and to the south of Petit Bois Island .........................................................................11
v

 . 10. Ternary diagram of grain size results for the 132 samples around the Mississippi barrier islands (MSBI). 

Most samples plot as sand, or between sand and silt grain sizes ...................................................................... 12 
vi

Conversion factors, Abbreviations, and Datum 

Multiply By To obtain

micrometer (um) 0.003937 inch (in.)

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) 

BCC Biotic Cover Component

CMECS Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard

GFC Geoform Component

GPS Global positioning system

GUIS Gulf Islands National Seashore

MSBI Mississippi barrier islands

MSCIP Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program

NAVSTAR Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging

NGOM Northern Gulf of Mexico

NOAA National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association

NPS National Park Service

SGC Surface Geologic Component

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

Horizontal information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) 
1

Benthic Substrate Classification Map: Gulf Islands 

National Seashore 

By Dawn Lavoie, James Flocks, Dave Twichell, and Kate Rose 

Introduction and Background 

The 2005 hurricane season was devastating for the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina 

caused significant degradation of the barrier islands that compose the Gulf Islands National Seashore 

(GUIS). Because of the ability of coastal barrier islands to help mitigate hurricane damage to the 

mainland, restoring these habitats prior to the onset of future storms will help protect the islands 

themselves and the surrounding habitats. 

During Hurricane Katrina, coastal barrier islands reduced storm surge by approximately 10 

percent and moderated wave heights (Wamsley and others, 2009). Islands protected the mainland by 

preventing ocean waves from maintaining their size as they approached the mainland. In addition to 

storm protection, it is advantageous to restore these islands to preserve the cultural heritage present there 

(for example, Fort Massachusetts) and because of the influence that these islands have on marine 

ecology. For example, these islands help maintain a salinity regime favorable to oysters in the 

Mississippi Sound and provide critical habitats for many migratory birds and endangered species such 

as sea turtles (Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta, and Dermochelys coriacea), Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser 

oxyrinchus desotoi), and piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2009a). 

As land manager for the GUIS, the National Park Service (NPS) has been working with the State 

of Mississippi and the Mobile District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide a set of 

recommendations to the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) that will guide restoration 

planning. The final set of recommendations includes directly renourishing both West Ship Island (to 

protect Fort Massachusetts) and East Ship Island (to restore the French Warehouse archaeological site); 

filling Camille Cut to recreate a continuous Ship Island; and restoring natural regional sediment 

transport processes by placing sand in the littoral zone just east of Petit Bois Island. Prevailing sediment 

transport processes will provide natural renourishment of the westward islands in the barrier system 

(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2009b).

One difficulty in developing the final recommendations is that few data are available to 

incorporate into restoration plans related to bathymetry, sediment type, and biota. For example, the most 

recent bathymetry available dates to when East and West Ship Islands were a single continuous island 

(1917). As a result, the MsCIP program has encouraged post-hurricane bathymetric data collection for 

future reference. Furthermore, managing a complex environment such as this barrier island system for 

habitat conservation and best resource usage requires significant knowledge about those habitats and 

resources. To effectively address these issues, a complete and comprehensive understanding of the type, 

geographic extent, and condition of marine resources included within the GUIS is required. However, 

the data related to the GUIS marine resources are limited either spatially or temporally. Specifically, 

there is limited knowledge and information about the distribution of benthic habitats and the 

characteristics of the offshore region of the GUIS, even though these are the habitats that will be most 
2

affected by habitat restoration. The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive map of the benthic 

marine habitats within the GUIS to give park managers the ability to develop strategies for coastal and 

ocean-resource management and to aid decisionmakers in evaluating conservation priorities. 

Methods 

A detailed bottom-substrate map has been developed for the NPS and MsCIP program using 

acoustic data, associated bathymetry, and other ancillary data within the jurisdictional boundaries of the 

GUIS at East and West Ship, Horn, and Petit Bois Islands, Mississippi (fig. 1). A significant suite of 

bottom and sub-bottom data within the GUIS boundaries was collected by the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) as part of the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility 

project during the summers of 2008 and 2009. The goal of this NGOM project is to understand the 

evolution of coastal ecosystems on the northern Gulf Coast, the impact of human activities on these 

ecosystems, and the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities to more intense and frequent 

hurricanes in the future. 

Figure 1. Map of the Mississippi barrier islands that compose the Gulf Islands National Seashore: Petit Bois, 

Horn, East and West Ship, and portions of Cat Island. 
3

Data Acquisition 

Benthic substrate types were surveyed for approximately 1,191 kilometers (km) of seafloor 

within the GUIS boundary surrounding East and West Ship, Horn, and Petit Bois Islands using sidescanning interferometric-swath bathymetry sonar. Substrate data were collected concomitantly during a 

survey conducting sub-bottom profiling (fig. 2, tracklines). Because sub-bottom profiling requires a less 

intense sonar coverage than benthic habitat assessments, data collected for this study provide a highquality initial assessment of habitats rather than a high-resolution map detailing benthic habitats. 

Figure 2. Tracklines from the 2008 and 2009 summer surveys that collected data used in the benthic substrate 

map. The surveys were funded as an in-kind contribution from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Coastal and 

Marine Geology Program’s Northern Gulf Of Mexico project. 

A combination of two boats was used: a 22-foot (ft) Catboat for surveying in shallow water to 3 

meters (m) in depth, and the R/V Gilbert, owned by the USGS, was used for collecting data in water 

depths from 3 to 20 m. Survey lines were spaced approximately 200 m apart in a shore-parallel 

orientation with tie-lines crossing at an oblique (zigzag) pattern (fig. 2). Data were collected from the 

oblique survey tie-lines in order to maximize the number of crossings within the available timeframe 

and to correlate with survey tracklines collected in the 1890s. 
4

The acquisition hardware consisted of four separate units: a differential global positioning 

system (GPS) on land (base station), a differential GPS on the survey vessel (rover), a motion sensor 

(vessel heave, pitch, and roll), and a 468-kilohertz (kHz) Swathplus interferometric sonar (SEA, 2009). 

The hardware units on the vessel were mounted in-line on a rigid pole with the swath transducers just 

below the waterline. The motion sensor was housed in a watertight steel container mounted above the 

transducers, and the GPS choke-ring antenna was mounted at the top of the pole 3 m above the 

transducers. 

The antennas received the positioning signal from the Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging 

(NAVSTAR) GPS satellite constellation. Two Ashtech Z-Xtreme GPS receivers with internal data card 

storage recorded simultaneously 12-channel full-carrier-phase positioning signals (L1/L2) from the 

satellites. The base and rover receivers recorded their positions concurrently at 1-second recording 

intervals throughout the survey period. Boat motion (heave, pitch, and roll) was recorded at 50-

millisecond (ms) intervals using a TSS DMS-05 sensor. Two land-based benchmarks maintained by the 

National Geodetic Survey are located on the mainland of Ship Island, and a third benchmark was 

installed by the USGS on Horn Island. These stations recorded position relative to GPS satellites 

throughout the survey. 

Data from the GPS receiver and motion sensor were streamed in real time to a laptop computer 

running the HYPACK MAX version 4.3A (HYPACK, Inc.) marine surveying, positioning, and 

navigation software package. The acquisition software combines the data streams from the various 

components into a single raw data file, time-stamped to the nearest millisecond. The software also 

manages the planned-transect information, providing real-time navigation, steering, correction, data 

quality, and instrumentation-status information to the boat operator. Swath data were recorded 

separately and merged with the navigation data during post-processing using Caris SIPS software 

(Version 7.0). 

Data Processing 

Swath Backscatter Data 

Backscatter data generated by the Swathplus system were processed separately from the 

bathymetry data by reading raw data files (.sxrs) through Swathplus (versions 3.5.19 and 3.6.0) two 

times and specifying output parameters for each data type. Generating two separate processed files, one 

for bathymetry and one for backscatter, allowed the utilization of SXPtools, which was created 

specifically for enhancing backscatter contained in processed Swathplus data files (.sxps) (Finlayson, 

2008). SXPtools runs on .sxp files created by saving all the sounding data, such that both the rejected 

and accepted soundings identified by bathymetry filters are preserved. SXPtools computed an empirical 

gain normalization on the soundings in the original .sxp file and wrote a new .sxp file with processed 

amplitudes. The new .sxp file was then imported into SonarWiz.Map, and tiff images at 0.25- and 0.5-m 

were created from the normalized backscatter data (CTI, 2009). 

Initial interpretations of backscatter data defined six major categories of backscatter intensity: 

high backscatter, low backscatter, high-medium backscatter, low-medium backscatter, irregular, and 

patchy/speckled. These data are inverted so that dark regions in the data represent high backscatter and 

are interpreted as coarser-grained sediments (sand) and light regions are low backscatter and represent 

finer-grained sediments, specifically, mud composed of silt or variable mixtures of silt and clay (fig. 

3A). 
5

Figure 3. (A) Examples of backscatter returns north of Petit Bois Island. The light returns or low reflectivity 

(signals have been inverted 180° during data processing) are interpreted to be fine-grained muds whereas the 

dark returns are interpreted to be sandy sediments. (B) Examples of backscatter returns from West Ship Island; 

the light returns from the Gulfport shipping channel represent fine-grained muds while the dark returns between 

the old and new shipping channels are coarse to medium sands. 
6

Areas of low backscatter are present north of the islands; for example, the backscatter returns 

between the old and new Gulfport ship channels are portrayed as very dark areas (high returns) 

compared with the lighter areas (low returns) from the channels themselves (fig. 3B). The dark areas are 

interpreted to be sands; the lighter areas are interpreted to be muds. The various categories and 

boundaries were mapped and are interpreted to be analogous to sand, mud, transitional sandy mud, 

muddy sand, structures with some relief (for example, sand ripples), and a patchy bottom that may be 

biological in nature (seagrass or other similar growth), respectively. The shipping channels are well 

defined in the data and are a seventh category included within the anthropogenic class of bottom types. 

ArcGIS 

Processed backscatter tiff images were compiled in an ESRI ArcGIS file geodatabase for 

classification of substrate type. The tiff files (0.25-m resolution for 2008 data and 0.50-m resolution for 

2009 data) were converted to raster format, projected using the North American Datum of 1983, 

Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 16N coordinate system, and loaded into ArcMap. A directory was 

created consisting of six feature classes representing the major types of backscatter return. These were 

interpreted as classes and subclasses within primary major components following the Coastal and 

Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) guidelines. Briefly, CMECS is a classification 

standard developed by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to streamline 

classification schemes among agencies (fig. 4); the standard contains a geological component to classify 

surface geology. The CMECS classes utilized in this mapping region are as follows: 

Surface Geology Component (SGC) 

Class 1: Unconsolidated Bottom 

Subclass 1: high backscatter (sand) 

Subclass 2: high to medium backscatter (sand/mud intermediate) 

Subclass 3: medium to low backscatter (sand/mud intermediate) 

 Subclass 4: low backscatter (mud) 

Geoform Component (GFC) 

 Class 1: Anthropogenic 

 Subclass 1: dredged channels 

 Subclass 2: disposal area 

 Class 2: Geologic features 

Subclass 1: geologic features, geologic structure (sand waves, ripples, irregular 

bottom) 

Biotic Cover Component (BCC) 

 Class 1: Aquatic bed 

 Subclass 1: rooted vascular, biotic group: seagrass 

Subclass 2: patchy/speckled backscatter (possible organic component) 
7

Figure 4. Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) classification scheme developed by 

NOAA. Components interpreted in the Gulf Islands National Seashore include the surface geology component, 

the geoform component, and the biotic cover component. 

An initial attempt was made to analyze the data using a supervised classification scheme; 

however, the line spacing was such that the data density did not support this method. Therefore, 

polygons for each subclass were drawn and edited with ArcEditor based on visual interpretation of 

backscatter intensity and presence of geoforms. The finalized polygons were then smoothed manually 

and cleaned. 

Seagrass locations in regions shallower than 2 m were added to the map based on “Decadal-scale 

changes in seagrass coverage on Mississippi barrier islands, Northern Gulf of Mexico” by Carter and 

others (2009). Additional areas of seagrass or other organic bottom material were interpreted from the 

backscatter return. 

All of the preceding interpreted categories of backscatter data are based on return-signal 

characteristics that were compiled into a benthic substrate classification map (fig. 5). The geoform 

component categories were verified by collecting grab samples and photographs in areas where swath 

backscatter data were unresolvable. Grain-size analyses on these samples were used to calibrate acoustic 

boundaries delineated on the benthic substrate map. 
8

Figure 5. Mississippi barrier islands benthic substrate classification. Geology components are based on 

geophysical data. Core samples were analyzed to verify geophysical interpretations and are denoted by small 

circles overlain on interpreted surface geology components. 

Ground Truth Data 

In March 2010, 132 sites were sampled to ground truth acoustic interpretations. Photographs 

using a bottom camera were taken when possible at each site and augmented with photographs of 

recovered samples on board the ship. Photographs illustrate a homogeneous sandy bottom (fig. 6), 

except in a few instances where seagrass is present or between the passes where burrowing is common 

(fig. 7). Much of the non-sand bottom is covered by a layer of very soft mud (fig. 8); in some areas, the 

sand was also covered by the same soft, muddy layer. 
9

Figure 6. (A) Bottom photograph of typical sandy substrate near West Ship Island and (B) topside photograph of 

the same homogeneous sand, similar to beach sand near East Ship Island. 

Figure 7. Photographs showing (A) seagrass from the northern side of West Ship Island (C10) and (B) burrowing 

east of West Ship Island (C16) and commonly found in the passes between the islands. 

Figure 8. Photographs showing (A) soft mud covering much of the non-sandy bottom (C4) just north of West Ship 

Island and (B) burrows in muddy bottom north of East Ship Island (C29). 
10

Samples were collected using a ponar grab sampler and stored for textural analyses by the USGS 

Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. Analyses were conducted using a 

Beckman Coulter LS 200 particle-size analyzer. This instrument utilizes laser diffraction to measure the 

size distribution of sedimentary particles 0.375 to 2000 microns (μm) in diameter by shining a laser on 

particles suspended in solution. The light is scattered in characteristic patterns based on particle size and 

is measured by photodetectors as intensity per unit area and sorted into 92 size-classification channels. 

The relative amplitude of light intensity for each channel is interpreted as the relative volume of 

spherical particles of that size. The bin counts produced by the LS 200 were used to calculate cumulative 

weight percentages for the 5, 10, 16, 25, 50, 75, 84, 90, and 95 percentiles. From these measurements, 

mean grain size and sorting (Inman, 1952) are reported in mm and phi intervals. The utility of the LS 

200 is the high reproducibility of measurements, rapid acquisition of results, ability to accurately and 

quickly provide quantitative measures of extremely small grain-size fractions, and customizable data 

output. 

Prior to analysis in the LS 200 module bath, sediment samples were resuspended in water by 

stirring and sonication; however, if the material resembled silt or clay, a sodium hexametaphosphate 

solution was added to aid in disaggregation. Samples were dispersed by pipette until an 8- to 12-percent 

solution concentration was obtained. This procedure was repeated three times for each of three sample 

aliquots to calculate standard deviation. Nine values, the three measurements for each of the three 

aliquots, were averaged to produce a single analysis per sample. If one measurement of an aliquot 

departed from the other two by greater than one standard deviation, it was considered a statistical 

anomaly and was removed, leaving the remaining two measurements. Because the LS 200 treats all 

sediment particles as spherical, some aliquots containing nonspherical sediment resulted in statistical 

outliers and were reanalyzed to produce reliable results. 

Sediment data output was compiled and analyzed using Gradistat (Version 8.0). The Gradistat 

program produces an output of versatile statistical results calculated arithmetically and geometrically (in 

metric units) and logarithmically (in phi units) using statistical moments and Folk and Ward graphical 

methods. Statistical moment includes mean, mode, sorting, skewness, and other statistics to provide the 

most robust comparisons of compositionally variable sediments (Blott and Pye, 2001). 

Samples were texturally classified to a descriptive size classification and mean percentages of 

sand, silt, and clay were reported for each sediment sample in the Gradistat data output. The percentage 

data provided for each sample were combined and plotted onto a ternary diagram. 

Results 

The figure 9 maps indicate that, in general, the predominant bottom type around the islands is 

interpreted from a high backscatter to be sand that generally becomes finer with increasing distance 

from the islands. For example, East and West Ship Islands are surrounded by coarse-to-medium sand 

(high backscatter), and Camille Cut between the two islands is entirely sandy. The bottom becomes 

muddy (low backscatter) relatively close to the islands to the north. To the south, the bottom remains 

sandy although the grain size decreases to a fine sand with only small patches of mud present. These 

interpretations have been confirmed by sediment textural analyses. Toward the west, the bottom 

substrate remains sandy, containing a few patches of biological cover. 
11

Figure 9. (A) Low-intensity backscatter returns north of East and West Ship Islands (red) are fine-grained muds 

that predominate north of the islands and in the dredged shipping channels. The high-intensity backscatter 

returns (in yellow) are medium- to coarse-grained sands and are primarily south of the islands and in the 

passes between the islands. (B) A similar pattern of sand as in (A) is present at Horn and Petit Bois Islands. 

Both islands are surrounded closely by sands (yellow), with interfingering finer-grained sediments on the north 

side the islands and to the south of Petit Bois Island. 
12

A similar pattern of bottom-substrate types is present around Horn Island. The nearshore bottom 

substrate south of the island is coarse-to-medium grained, becoming finer-grained farther south. North 

of Horn Island, sand is the predominant bottom type close to the island, although muddy patches appear 

to intrude from the north (red in fig. 9). Again, this pattern has been confirmed by bottom sampling. 

Petit Bois shows the same pattern, including the tongues of mud that intrude from the north. However, a 

more extensive mud bottom exists farther to the south of Petit Bois compared to Horn island. 

Bedforms are found in many areas, particularly to the south of the islands (fig. 9). Owing to 

widely spaced tracklines, it was assumed that the bedforms remained continuous over the entire patches 

outlined on the bottom-substrate map: for example, the small patch south of Petit Bois Island, the much 

larger patch to the south of the eastern part of Horn Island, those in the middle portions of Dog Keys 

Pass, and those unexpectedly found to the north of the eastern tip of West Ship Island. 

Seagrass, where mapped, is located in the shallow waters on the north sides of the islands where 

protected from surge, shrimping activities, and excessive turbidity. Most of these data, depicted as 

patchy seagrass, were taken from Carter and others (2009) (fig. 9); however, the large patches outlined 

in green were interpreted from the returned backscatter signals. These beds were verified with bottom 

photos and samples. 

Anthropogenic features are primarily ship channels, clearly defined in the backscatter records. 

No attempt was made to classify the bottom substrate within these features. 

Textural analyses plotted on a ternary diagram indicate that the primary bottom substrates range 

between sand and silt, with very little actual clay (fig. 10). Actual grain size analytical data show clay 

composition is generally less than 10 percent, although it ranges up to 14 percent in nine cases. 

Figure 10. Ternary diagram of grain size results for the 132 samples collected around the Mississippi barrier 

islands. Most samples plot as sand, or between sand and silt. 
13

Discussion 

West and East Ship, Horn, and Petit Bois Islands form an east-west string of linear, shoreparallel barriers that probably resulted from the aggradation of sediments over a Pleistocene ridge 

during the late Holocene (Otvos, 2004). At that time, a surplus of sand in the alongshore sedimenttransport system nourished and sustained the islands. Although the islands are much decreased in size, 

they are the subaerial expression of a nearly continuous sand platform that is substantially shallower 

than the surrounding Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi Sound (Morton, 2007). 

The Mississippi barrier islands are highly dynamic, eroding on the eastern ends and accreting on 

the western ends, resulting in an east-to-west alongshore sediment-transport system. The islands are 

especially vulnerable to storms, during which island segments may migrate landward as a result of Gulfside erosion and overwash fan deposition. Waves and currents rework the sandy overwash, and much of 

the sand is incorporated into the sandy platform and molded into large subaqueous bedforms (Morton, 

2007). 

These large subaqueous bedforms may be represented on the bottom-substrate map as large 

yellow patches (high-backscatter areas of return) immediately to the south (particularly) of Petit Bois 

and Horn Islands and as smaller patches south of East and West Ship Islands (fig. 5). The passes 

between the islands are predominantly medium-to-fine grained sand; currents within the passes probably 

keep fine-grained material in suspension. 

The fine-grained material is present in the quieter hydrodynamic regime primarily north of the 

islands where deposition is possible. Similarly, the material in the bottom of the dredged channels (red) 

is fine to very fine grained silt. A large patch of fine-grained sediment immediately to the south of West 

Ship Island and adjacent to the Gulfport shipping channel may represent the terminus of the sedimenttransport system and may be part of a wider part of the channel or spoil area.

The Mississippi Sound is underlain by muddy sediments, primarily kaolinite and illite, similar to 

sediments from Mobile Bay (Milne and Shott, 1961). The increasing montmorillonite content in the 

western portion of Mississippi Sound and north of East and West Ship Islands may reflect the influence 

of the Mississippi River Delta. Barrier-island sands have spread over this characteristically muddy 

bottom and are reflected in the overlying sandy fingers on the northern side of the islands. 

If closely spaced sub-bottom records were available, they would probably show sandy beds 

within the muddy bottom areas reflecting the impacts of large storms. For example, sandy Camille event 

beds have been recorded (Keen and others, 2004) and undoubtedly, other storm beds from Hurricane 

Katrina are present as well. 

The areas mapped as geologic structures may be sand waves; their exact size was not determined 

through ground truth sampling. However, these areas of bottom structure are in relatively high-energy 

regions south of the islands and are not found in the protected low-energy regions north of the islands. 

The distribution of these structures may be more extensive than noted in the bottom-substrate map 

herein because isolated detections in the returns were ignored. With closer line spacing, it seems 

probable that many more areas of sand waves and similar bedforms could be identified. 

Seagrass locations from Carter and others (2009) were found on the northern side of the islands. 

The data for Petit Bois and Horn Islands were taken directly from Carter and others (2009). Other data 

interpreted from backscatter returns are probably valid close to the islands on their northern sides, and 

areas interpreted as organic bottom away from the islands were targeted during the spring groundtruthing cruise; however, bottom sampling was inconclusive. Burrowing was evident in some of the 

areas delineated as organic bottom. 
14

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of unconsolidated sediments: Earth Surface Processes and Landform, v. 26, p. 1237–1248.

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coverage on the Mississippi Barrier Islands, northern Gulf of Mexico Gulf: Gulf Coast Geospatial 

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